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A spy who works within the organization he or she is collecting information on, often for long periods. Featured in 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' by John le Carré.

A method where members of an organization operate independently of each other to prevent compromise. Featured in 'The Faithful Spy' by Alex Berenson.

A pre-planned path used by an intelligence officer to determine whether they are under surveillance. Featured in 'The Bourne Identity' by Robert Ludlum.

An elaborate false identity or background narrative for a spy. Featured in 'The Man with the Golden Gun' by Ian Fleming.

A strategy where an attractive person entices another person into revealing information or into a compromising position. Featured in 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' by John le Carré.

A shortwave radio station characterized by broadcasts of formatted numbers, which are believed to be a form of covert communication to spies. Featured in 'The IPCRESS File' by Len Deighton.

A form of undercover employment for intelligence operatives in which the operative is 'on their own' without official connections to their government. Featured in 'Red Sparrow' by Jason Matthews.

The ability of a person to deny knowledge of or responsibility for any damnable actions committed by others in an organizational hierarchy. Featured in 'The Quiet American' by Graham Greene.

An intermediary used to pass information between agents to prevent direct contact and preserve the operational security of each. Featured in 'A Perfect Spy' by John le Carré.

An operation that is planned and executed to conceal the identity of the sponsor or to permit plausible denial by the sponsor. Featured in 'The Day of the Jackal' by Frederick Forsyth.

An abbreviation for 'Human Intelligence,' it refers to the gathering of information from human sources. Featured in 'A Legacy of Spies' by John le Carré.

A method of espionage tradecraft used to pass items or information between two individuals using a secret location. Featured in 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold' by John le Carré.

A brief and seemingly casual exchange of items or information while passing in a public place. Featured in 'The Tailor of Panama' by John le Carré.

An abbreviation for 'Signals Intelligence,' it refers to intelligence-gathering by interception of signals. Featured in 'Body of Lies' by David Ignatius.

A person sent by an intelligence organization to entice a foreign agency into recruitment. Featured in 'The Other Side of Silence' by Philip Kerr.

The art and science of analyzing information systems to breach cryptographic security systems and gain access to the contents of encrypted messages. Featured in 'Cryptonomicon' by Neal Stephenson.

The practice of hiding messages or information within other non-secret text or data. Featured in 'Digital Fortress' by Dan Brown.